In his new position, first held by Stephen F. Austin, Steen will be the state's chief election officer. He'll also represent Perry in Mexican, border and international matters while overseeing business and other records.

Steen said in a statement he's honored to continue serving the state, and, “I look forward to promoting the Texas success story to create more economic opportunities for our citizens and continuing to work with our neighbor, Mexico, toward a prosperous future.”

Andrade ventured to Mexico and other nations as a Texas business emissary. She resigned last week after four years in the office, a tenure that ended amid controversy over efforts to purge voter roles before the Nov. 6 election.

Steen said “as chief elections officer, I will make it my highest priority to preserve the integrity of our elections and ensure they are fair, accessible and secure.”

Perry described Steen as “uniquely qualified,” with “strong business background and dedication to public service.”

“His leadership over our state's election process, economic development efforts and international relations will be an integral part of Texas' goal to expand economic prosperity and opportunity for all Texas,” Perry's statement said.

“We are grateful for Commissioner Steen's dedicated service on the Texas Public Safety Commission for the last four years. His commitment to supporting the department's mission and goals has been invaluable, and we wish him well in his new role as the Texas Secretary of State,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw.

A longtime GOP supporter, Steen has contributed to the campaigns of Perry and several other Republican statewide officials.

jgonzalez@express-news.net

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